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Many automakers have launched massive marketing campaigns in response to President Trump’s “Made in America” initiatives and newly-imposed tariffs on non-U.S. goods and vehicles. However, not all of them have been telling the whole truth about their parts sourcing in these new ads, according to an advertising watchdog.

The Truth in Advertising watchdog found issues with advertisements from the Stellantis family of brands, namely Dodge, Ram, and Jeep. All three launched new campaigns with confusing language regarding their US production or parts makeup.

• Dodge

  Founded

  December 14, 1900

  Founder

  John Francis Dodge & Horace Elgin Dodge

  Headquarters

  Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.A

  Owned By

  Stellantis North America

  Current CEO

  Carlos Tavares

• 

  Ram

  Founded

  2010

  Founder

  FCA

  Headquarters

  Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA

  Owned By

  Stellantis

  Current CEO

  Tim Kuniskis

• 

  Jeep

  Founded

  1943

  Founder

  Willys-Overland Motors

  Headquarters

  Toledo, Ohio

  Owned By

  Stellantis

  Current CEO

  Antonio Filosa

Patriotic But Misleading

Dodge ran, and then took down, an ad claiming it is “American born. American made.” with images of the Durango SUV. Jeep claimed it was “America’s most patriotic brand,” whatever that means, with images of the Jeep Wrangler. Ram went so far as to claim it was built “from the ground up in America,” with depictions of the Ram 1500 pickup truck. These ads have been taken down from official channels but are still available to view on Instagram (see the embeds at the bottom of this article).

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Here’s the main issue with each of these ads, from the Truth In Advertising release:

The FTC requires products marketed as “made” or “built” in the USA – the agency views the terms the same – to be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S., with “no – or negligible – foreign content.” There is no Jeep, Dodge, or Ram model, or any car for that matter, that meets this definition.

Dodge, Ram, And Jeep Parts Content

TIA continues: “The percentage of U.S. content in the Jeep Wrangler is 68%; the Dodge Durango contains 73% US content; and the Ram 1500 Pickup comprises 55% U.S. content. Meanwhile, these models are made with engine, motor or transmission parts sourced from all over the world, from Mexico to Italy to Japan.”

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TIA says it’s unclear if the planned television ads will continue to air, despite being pulled from most online social channels, but it sent Stellantis a strongly worded letter to cease running them.

Source: Truth In Advertising

H/T: CarScoops